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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Pete Sessions Latest Texan to Run Scared From Funding Government Without Obamacare

Congressman Pete Sessions – steadfastly avoiding serious town halls where he may face conservatives / tea party activists in Dallas – recently was caught on camera arrogantly claiming 1) that he was unable to get Obamacare defunding language from Senator Cruz (false), and 2) that this language supposedly does not work (language he co-sponsors).

See below for an example of establishment-gone-unhinged:

Now, this isn’t the first time he’s been bad-mouthing Senator Cruz and those committed to defunding. He has been going to his country club buddies in Dallas telling everyone that the defund Obamacare plan is crazy. He calls a few supporters and gets them to do his bidding to try to gin up Republicans in Dallas against the defund effort. For example, this email is floating around Texas circles (and it is hardly isolated – as Mr. Sessions has been saying this at forums around DFW) from a guy in the Dallas area:

“I just got off a 15 minute phone call from United States Congressman Pete Sessions… He also serves as the Chairman of the powerful House Committee on Rules. He called to get my opinion and ideas on defunding Obamacare. He also mentioned his frustration with Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Michelle Bachman who are out talking about defunding Obama, but as of yet, has not submitted their ideas to him. He stressed that he has tried and tried to get their reports, but with no success. His hands are practically tied until they submit their ideas.”

So, let’s look at the facts.

Senator Cruz introduced the Defund Obamacare Act (S.1292) on July 11th. It is publicly available, and has been for a month and a half.

Senator Cruz is not the only one. Congressmen Graves and Bridenstine co-introduced the SAME bill (H.R. 2682) in the House of Representatives at the same time. It is publicly available, and has been for a month and a half.

Congressman Pete Sessions is a co-sponsor of H.R. 2682, and has been since July 26, 2013). Yes, you read that correctly – he is a CO-SPONSOR of the language he was saying he cannot find…

I am told by multiple sources that everyone reputable and knowledgeable agrees that Congress CAN defund Obamacare on the CR.

The Cruz language uses plain English to require that all spending – MANDATORY and DISCRETIONARY – is stopped. No one has offered an alternative – Congressman Sessions is welcomed to, but doesn’t because the truth is the language isn’t the problem, it’s his total lack of spine.

He – and the rest of the surrender caucus, including John Cornyn and a few others in the Texas delegation – run away from defund because they cower in the corner clutching polls from DC consultants. They say “we can’t shut the government down… we’ll lose in 2014.” Yet it is only they who talk about a shutdown… and they misunderstand what it will take to win.

Criticizing Ted Cruz is only cover for not having the will or courage to fight.

I am not sure what “tried and tried to get their reports, but with no success” means. I am pretty sure my 4 year-old son could have found it on google by now. In fact, in case you are wondering, try this link Congressman.

Folks – the establishment is coming off its rails. Sessions is just one example of many. They cannot stand that Sens. Ted Cruz and Mike Lee as well as Congressmen Bridenstine, Graves and Meadows have gone straight to the American people … resulting in over 1.1 million signatures at www.dontfundObamacare.com and countless phone calls and activism.

Pete Sessions has long since been in need of a challenge, but he’s now surpassed uselessness and turned into outright enemy of those of us trying to stop Obamacare.

In addition to his latest unhinged rants against Ted Cruz – consider this year’s timeline.

Sessions has cast many votes expressing token opposition to Obamacare, but has indicated quite clearly through his words and deeds that he does not actually support the defunding of Obamacare.

In July of 2012, 127 members of the House signed a letter to Speaker John Boehner asking that the Speaker not bring appropriations bills to the floor including funding for Obamacare. Rep. Sessions did not sign on to the letter.

Earlier this year, a group of constituents challenged Sessions on his unwillingness to stand up and fight against Obamacare. Sessions explained his unwillingness to fight as follows:

What we’re trying to do is let [Obama] be a failure. … Otherwise it’s “Republicans stopped us from achieving what you wanted.” We do not want to stop it. And I think these governors are probably pretty smart…

They [Democrats] want it in limbo to keep the taxes flowing and people to slowly suffer and then blame Republicans so that Hillary can ride to the rescue… We won’t lose if it gets bad. We lose if it goes in limbo…

In April, Sessions reiterated to constituents his strategy of staying out of the way of Obamacare, in order to let it fail on its own.

In later communications, Sessions shifted his argument. Instead of arguing that Obamacare ought to be allowed to go forward because it will necessarily fail if left alone, Sessions argued that a government shutdown would be politically devastating to Republicans in 2014, and thus the House Republicans could not, under any circumstances, allow Obama to shut down the government. He provided no evidence for his claim that the public would place blame for a shutdown on House Republicans.